181 - Inward (Patreon)

Arielle expected to appear in the same memory from when she was a child.

Of chasing a rabbit and falling in the bog.

Of drowning and meeting the Drift, or at least speaking to him. 

She was curious to see if there was a continuation of that vision, if something had happened between the moment she met the Drift and the moment her brother scooped her out. Something that would explain why she no longer had a fear of death.

But instead of that, she appeared in a field she didn't recognize.

She was not at the swamp or anywhere close to it. Her entire view was peaks and valleys of green, uninterrupted by trees, water bodies, or anything else for miles beyond.  

The sun was high in the sky, but it wasn't too hot. A pleasant wind drifted all around her, and she closed her eyes, lifted her face to the sky, and savored it.

Peace at last. 

Slowly, she became aware that she wasn’t alone.

It wasn’t necessarily a dark presence that told her. It was a spot from behind where she noted an absence of air, of sound, the fact that it was the only place she didn’t feel a draft from.

She slowly turned around and faced him, a dark figure whose face was shielded by the hood.

He put his hand up, and the sleeve fell back, revealing ghostly skeletal fingers. As he pushed back his hood, it revealed a face that was much younger than his stature and gauntness would suggest.

Facially, he looked like a young adult, about the same age as Wulfric.  

He had a full head of hair, dark and straight, almost oily-looking, a largeish hooked nose, and thin lips.

The bones of his neck pushed harshly against his skin, and there was a gauntness in his cheek that suggested illness. His eyes were bright, nevertheless, as he watched her implacably.

“You’re the Drift?” She didn’t know what she was expecting, but she hadn’t expected him to look so young. 

A sound emanated from him, a near chuckle that did not quite make it there. “I’ve advised you not to call him by his name, have I not?”

The voice sounded familiar. It tickled at the corner of her consciousness until realization fell out.

“Cornelius.”

He did not respond, but now that she was looking at him, she thought she saw a resemblance to his brother. Yseult.

But Yseult was at least two hundred or so. Archmages aged slowly and were semi-immortal, but eventually signs of their maturity would begin to show in the wrinkles on their face and the thinness of their skin. Cornelius still had youthful skin. Was it because he'd died young and hence had been preserved in that state?

“I did not think we would meet again like this," he said.

“How are you…” She had thought that, if anything, she would meet the Drift. Sure, the abyssal doors were interconnected, but she didn’t know how she'd travelled to him. Or perhaps he'd been the one to come to her? So he wasn't trapped in the Helleron ruins after all?

“Did I come to you or did you come to me?” she asked. 

"I was permitted to come to you, since we temporarily occupy the same plenum."

“How? I thought you were stuck in the Helleron forest?”

“I am here now, for a mission.”

Oh, that's right. He did say that he was permitted to leave when there were missions.

That meant...

“You’re involved in what’s happening, aren’t you?”

He hesitated and then nodded. 

Of course. Of course it had to with him, because why not?

“Why? How does this help Yseult?”

He didn’t respond, leaving Arielle to contemplate it. 

It didn’t make sense. 

How did helping demons attack humans help Yseult? If anything, it might worsen his punishment.

If the demons managed to kill them all, it would be an unprecedented tragedy. There would be international outcry, and perhaps they might petition the council to execute everyone who was involved, including Yseult.

“Think of the numbers,” Cornelius said, likely because her confusion was apparent.

"The num…” She trailed off as the understanding dawned. 

There were four archmages right now in the Iverson Estate. Five, including Vittoria, who may or may not be fighting demons in the demonic realm. Then there were eleven masters. If they all died, there would be a shortage of both archmages and masters, thanks to the strict quota held in their universe. 

Of course that would mean that some of the current adepts and masters would be moved up, but given that quite a few of the archmages had not held their positions for long, would there be enough people to level up quickly in order to fill those roles?

Especially since some adepts could have been deliberately suppressing themselves so as not to challenge anyone when the time came. Some could have simply gotten complacent because they didn't expect any upward mobility for another twenty years.  

They didn’t often lose archmages, especially in peacetime, and typically replacements only occurred once or twice in multiple decades, if that.

Never have they ever had to replace five at once. Not to mention ten to eleven masters. 

And considering they were now at war with the demonic realm, they would need all the help they could get. Especially from those experienced and equipped to handle demons.

Elric and Vittoria had spoken about how Yseult claimed to be working on a tool that would help them use and maybe even control demons. He had offered to confess it under oath to the High Ascendant, so it was unlikely he was lying. 

If they were going to war with the demons, something like that would be very useful. 

Which meant that, perhaps, the High Ascendant might consider unsuppressing Yseult’s cores. 

Elric had said in the beginning that the High Ascendant had a special relationship with Yseult and it would take a lot for him to punish him, which was why he needed to get as much evidence of Yseult's involvement as possible. Vittoria had said it was the near-unanimous decision of the council to punish him and they would very much be against putting him back. So would multiple heads of state.

But with several members of the council dead or incapacitated, the decision would largely be left to the High Ascendant, and maybe that might mean that Yseult would get to keep his cores, with conditions, ensuring he could never betray them again. 

Elric had told her once that the High Ascendant likely wanted Yseult chained to him in some way, to control him and his power, the same way he might do to Arielle. Yseult had so far fought to avoid that. But with the alternative being a lifetime of pain and death, he would likely take the deal.. 

“You wanted the Archmages and Masters to die,” she said, half believing that she was wrong. It was such a ridiculous, far-fetched idea. Although she didn’t know much about Cornelius, she’d never thought he was a bad person. He’d seemed desperate to save his brother from whatever fate he had, and he had probably aided Yseult in his misdeeds. But she didn't think he would be the type to conspire about something this heinous.

Not the boy who had poured out all his sadness and regrets in the journal. Who had spoken about protecting his family.

Who had asked her to apologize to them on his behalf.

The one who had helped her once, even while he was in pain. He’d used his power to get her out of the ruins, when there was nothing to gain for him. The fact that someone like him would so casually allow the death of so many people, simply to save one person...

It couldn't be.

But he wasn't denying it. He wasn't telling her that she was wrong.

Which meant she wasn't wrong.

She wanted to be angry, but she found it difficult to conjure such strong emotion. Perhaps it was because of her movement through the abyss. Perhaps it was because she was dying. Or perhaps she was simply emotionally exhausted.

On the other hand, his expression struggled, shifting into mourning and regret, before it smoothed out again.  

“Why?” she asked. “Why would you do this?”

"Would you not do the same for the ones you love?” he said.

"No, I wouldn't." There were a lot of things she would do for her friends and her family, but killing innocents wasn’t one of them. 

“I would have found another way,” she said instead.

“Sometimes there are no other ways," he said. “Sometimes you’re out of options.”

She knew. That was exactly how she had felt when she'd been captured by Leviathan.

“But Yseult’s punishment is of his own doing,” she spoke up, frustration lacing her voice. “He hurt people. Hurt Elric. He was power-hungry and let demons invade our world and use people as experiments. He's not a good person. Why would you still want to save him knowing all that?”

“Because…” The word lingered in the air for what felt like forever. He shook his head and chuckled. “Forgive me. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to explain myself to somebody. Or spoken to anybody at all."

"Don't the congregation ever meet and talk to each other?"

He didn't say anything, staring at her, and she took that as a no.

“Why not?” she asked.

“If you want to learn the mysteries of the Church, you must become one of us."

"You told me not to be."

"And you will do well to heed that advice," he said. "Especially now."

"What do you mean?"

"There will be offers," he said. "You have caught our master’s interest, for one. He will wait until you need him and then he will make an offer. But every favor comes with a debt, and the debt must always be repaid in equivalent measure."

Arielle swallowed. Her hands clenched into fists. Would she be willing to become a disciple to save Lyra and Maus? To save Elric?

She was tempted. If that was her only way out of here...she might take it.

But why wasn't he making the offer now?

Why was Cornelius here, warning her?  

“What did you come to me for?" she asked. "Why are you explaining this to me?”

 He shook his head. “I would not dream of asking for forgiveness, and ultimately I would not change my actions even if I could." Indecision warred in his features. His downturned eyes seemed to droop, and suddenly he looked both older and younger than he'd initially appeared. "Perhaps I just wanted to tell you this. My brother...he never wanted things to be like this. In a lot of ways, I pushed him into it. I know you have no reason to think so, or to even trust me, but what he wanted was survival, not power. He's but a rat with a rare talent, placed in a cage, with nothing but snakes who wish only to extract from him or devour him. No allies or friends. He's had to become the way he is to survive."

His words did nothing to improve Arielle's opinion of Archmage Yseult. Perhaps all that was true before, but as an Archmage, he had amassed enough power and influence. He was not a trapped rat anymore. He was now the snake.

Arielle focused on a different part of the statement, though. "What talent do you speak of?"

Cornelius fixed his gaze somewhere around her shoulder. "He's the last true Draco."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's a long, arduous tale. Anyway, I just…I don’t want you to think of him as you are."

“I think it might be too late for that,” Arielle told him honestly. She couldn’t think of him and not imagine all the things Elric had suffered. All the people who had lost their lives today…that was indirectly his fault too. 

"I thought the Primordials were supposed to be the Protectors of humanity," Arielle said. "Yet you have set us up to lose."

He smiled sadly. "The Primordials are not as you think." He paused, seemingly considering his words carefully. "And you have not been set up to lose."

"What does that mean?”

"When the time comes, I will not hinder you. But I will not help you either."

"What?" Arielle asked.

"If you ask for help, I will help you. But it will not be like last time. I’m…things have changed. Keep in mind every favor carries a cost. A debt to be repaid. A connection being formed. Remember that the next time you ask, if you're willing to risk it." He paused and said, "You shouldn't."

It was now occurring to Arielle how different he sounded. When they’d last spoken, his voice had been more animated, full of emotion, shock and fear. Now, it was subdued, dead. It felt like he’d aged so much in such little time. 

"Aren't you already helping me by telling me that?"

He turned around. "I will not ask for your forgiveness."

And just as easily as he appeared, he disappeared. The wind blew from that direction once again.

What a strange way to end a conversation.

When the time comes, I will not hinder you, but I will not help you either.

What did that mean?

Arielle sat and pondered for what felt like a long time, although time had no meaning here.

She didn’t know how to get back into her body, but also she wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. At least not right now. All that was waiting for her there was pain. If there was a way out of this, she would need a clear mind to discover it. 

Perhaps the reason the Drift had not yet come to her was that she wasn't dying yet. That was strange because Leviathan should be killing her right now. But if he wasn't...then she had to find out how to beat him.

All the spells that controlled his realm and probably also the ones that kept the demons hidden must be in that place she had seen, the hourglass.

It had been a container of orbs just floating through, and maybe if she could make it there, she could break the spells and free everyone.

But she didn't know how to make it there.

She did not know her way around the abyss. She could only create a tiny pocket dimension, not big enough for her to go through.

If only there were someone who could help her.

Her eyes opened in a rush.

Arielle didn't know what happened, or how she'd left the abyss, but she no longer saw green. Only blood-red sky.

She was also no longer immobile.

But her ears were ringing, and her body hurt so badly she could barely move it.

There was a storm all around her.

She sat up, and at first all she saw was lights whizzing about her, explosions of void, lava being used as a whip, the earth breaking, and everything being destroyed.

A loud cackle was her first hint, then blonde hair flowing amidst the carnage.

Gio Li.

Gio and Leviathan were having a fierce battle, one that Gio was clearly winning. 

She watched it blankly for some time and then realized...

Gio could enter the abyss.

"Gio." She opened her mouth and tried to call him, but her voice was too weak. So was her body. She wanted to lie down and go back to sleep, but she had a job to do.

She used her battery to cast a vitality spell and a healing spell. It didn't get rid of all the pain, but she could move easier now. And with a pain suppression spell, she could finally think clearly.

The lives of those around her depended on it.

"Gio." She noticed then that a dome had wrapped around her. It had no demonic orbs within. It was Gio's. Perhaps he could hear what she was saying. "I need to get to the abyss. Please take me."

At first, nothing happened. Then the dome spoke back.

Once I get you in, I won't be able to get you out for now. We will both be trapped there until the Master of the Abyss decides to leave.

"I know," she said, thinking back to what he'd said. "But I need to do something before it's too late."

There was no hesitation now. The dome became a swarm of black butterflies that covered her body until the darkness became complete.

She didn't see anything at first. She couldn't find the lights, and she didn't know how to find direction in the abyss.

"I'm searching for something," she told Gio through something that wasn't her voice. "A convergence of power. Of magic. Can you help me?"

"Well, my directions are off," he said. "But I will see what I can do."

Arielle did not feel the movement. She continued floating in the nothingness, waiting until something flashed in her vision.

"There!" she said. "Go back."

"You're very bossy for someone I had to rescue."

"Please," she added.

Gio said nothing, but slowly the convergence came back into view.

The amount of orbs rushing through it, the magic of it all....

A giant network of spells, a conglomerate of orbs, both human and demonic, and structures that Arielle had never encountered in her life.

The closer they moved, the higher it climbed. There were towers of it. 

The good thing was that they were interconnected. And breaking a few of them at once would impact the entire spell.

Arielle reached out to connect to the orbs. It was harder in the abyss, so she applied more pressure and she could only grab a few at a time.

As she began to pull, she felt a resistance, the darkness around her pulsing.

"You must hurry," Gio said. "Or he will throw us somewhere else.”

She nodded and pulled even harder. She wondered if she had to fight Cornelius’ hold on the structures. Or maybe the demon’s.

When the time comes, I will not hinder you.

Time for what? What did it mean?

She shook her head, gritted her teeth, and broke a spell.

It shook, and the abyss shifted. The spell connection tried to rearrange itself, but Ari kept pulling the orbs and throwing them in disarray, ignoring her headache that pierced past the pain-reduction spell she'd used on herself.

She kept ripping the connections, lengthening the tunnel, making it malfunction. Some of the orbs escaped and disappeared into the abyss, no longer in containment.

Arielle studied it as she broke it down systematically, ensuring that no single structure could go back to the way it was. It felt tireless but she thought of Elric and Lyra and Maus and the rest of her friends.

She would not stop until it was done.